‘Housing Tester’ Sues NY Newspapers

MANHATTAN (CN) – Eleven media companies, including the Daily News, the New York Post and Newsday, illegally accept housing ads from companies that discriminate against minorities, a man claims in Federal Court. Plaintiff John McDermott describes himself as “a fair housing tester.”

McDermott says he is sole shareholder and officer of co-plaintiff Space Hunters Inc. He claims the newspapers violate the Fair Housing Act by publishing “facially discriminatory advertisements,” and “facially neutral advertisements from vendors who they know engage in active discrimination and racial steering in the provision of housing services”. Here are the defendants: New York Metro LLC, Daily News LP, Times News Weekly, Courier-Life Inc., New York Press LLC, Tribune Co., Newsday Inc., AM News Corp., El Diario LLC, Village Voice Media Inc., and News America Corp. McDermott demands an injunction and punitive damages. He is represented by Laura Alto with Schulz & Associates of Melville.